Wednesday, April 14, 2010

What's up in the 11th CD

Mayor Lou Barlettadefended the honor of Hazletonbefore the students of Temple University last week. Today he is touting his fundraising prowessclaiming to have raised $300,000 this cycle. The FEC reports are not online yet so we have to wait to see where the money came from and how much cash he has on hand or if he incurred any more debt. Yesterday another one one of the increasingly frequent raids by federal agents swarmed the offices of a firm involved in one his pet projects. He denies any knowledge of wrongdoing.

“I surely don’t want to speculate on what’s happening. … We need to wait and see if there was any wrongdoing. … I hope the reclamation of the minelands will continue and that the amphitheater project also will continue,” Barletta said.Congressman Paul Kanjorski has been busy defending his vote for Health Care reform to just about every group that will listen to him. He also came up with one of his big ideas like Wall Street West

I think this idea has merit in the long run but the potential damage that gas drilling can do to the area can't wait to be addressed. The gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale will happen no matter how much me and other bloggersrail against it. The challenge is to get the federal and state governments to put in tough regulations to protect the water supply.

Corey O'Brien is making hay out of the rift between Kanjo and neighboring Congressman Chris Carney over the Appropriation Committee seat that came open when Jack Murtha died. The long and short of it is Carney thinks that Kanjorski screwed him over when Kanjo voted for Patrick Murphy instead of him to replace Murtha on the committee.

I got this release from the O'Brien camp:

The fallout from Paul Kanjorski’s betrayal of Northeastern Pennsylvania continues – today, Politico reported that Kanjorski is to blame for igniting “open warfare” on Congressman Carney. According to a chief of staff to a member of the Pennsylvania delegation “The person to blame for this … is Kanjorski.”

Paul Kanjorski voted against Chris Carney for a seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, and in doing so, cost our region hundreds of millions of dollars. Despite Congressman Carney’s requests for an explanation, Kanjorski has failed to provide a reason for his betrayal and instead continues to hide behind secret ballots and lame excuses.

The first rule of polling is “make sure the pollster doesn’t call your opponent’s house.” To that rule I would add “…especially when the campaign manager is sitting next to the phone.”

But last week, Team Kanjo broke this rule, and in doing so, revealed just how low he will sink in his desperate attempt to keep his seat. Not only did the poll seek to find ways of tearing down Corey O’Brien, it also tested just how angry voters are with Paul Kanjorski.

The set of questions written by Kanjorski’s own team says it all. The pollster asked “if any of the following would be a reason not to vote for someone”:

1. Paul Kanjorski is a professional politician.

2. Paul Kanjorski has voted for pay raise after pay raise after pay raise, while we struggle with unemployment and stagnant job creation.

3. Eleven Democrats, including Paul Kanjorski, voted against the stimulus package. Now Paul Kanjorski is trying to take credit for its success.

4. Paul Kanjorski was the architect of the bailout and defends the bailout. (Campaign manager’s note to pollster -- you should also ask whether taking campaign contributions from bailed out banks only two weeks after the multi-billion dollar bailout would be a reason “not to vote for someone”).

5. Paul Kanjorski was named by a journalist as a corrupt Member of Congress because he funneled $10 million to his daughter and son-in-law’s company, Cornerstone.Team Kanjo: In case the answer wasn’t clear from your poll, please stay tuned for May 18th.

Stop Twisting the Truth

Perhaps a telling omen of what Kanjorski’s smear machine will look like, the pollster also made a series of misleading, negative attacks on Corey O’Brien:

The fact that Corey and his wife have debt was twisted into “a lack of fiscal discipline,” even though the debt is from student loans for law school, Corey’s wife’s small business, and child care expenses.

Corey’s career as a community banking attorney became “representing Wall Street” (those are your donors, Congressman). There is another candidate in the race for the Democratic nomination. Brian Kelly thinks that the world should be made safe to drink tea and talks to the ghost of Dan Flood.

22 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Barletta can say all he wants, what people need to do is go on the the FEC.gov web site and see the campaign contributions from the owners and officers of Hazleton Creek Properties to Barletta, THAT is the story!!!!!!!

if you read this story in the Times Leader, http://www.timesleader.com/news/Dredge-site_developer_builds_stores_04-14-2010.html it shows how pay to play might be an issue for a lot of the players in the dredge project in Hazleton.

And I'm not excusing corrupt Democrats, they deserve it, too. But FOX News Jr. has no voices from the left now, after firing Kevin Lynn. Did they fire him for that reason? Will FAKE liberal Steve Corbett devote entire shows to this Barletta thing? Will Corbett say he voted for Kanjorski and avoid logging hours with this Barletta thing? Will he ask Barletta any tough questions, or just provide a propaganda forum to Barletta? Steve Corbett: FAKE liberal and stenographer for Republicans.

Lets play connect the dots. now you have to remember that Sen Musto pushed hard for Barletta to get the construction and demolition debris contract at the dredge site. The dredge operation is run by Bill Rinaldi, when you look at Barletta's campaign reports you see big donations by DeNaples, his bro Dominic, and Rinaldi and his partner. read PAGE 16, why send the C&D to Ohio when you can send it to Hazleton....

LOL on Barletta donations. Gort what I can tell is where Barletta didn't get his money from. That would be Wall Street and Washington unlike Kanjorski. Kanjo's last report only had 4 donors from his district...some senority..

Cherry pick Barletta's donations all you want. Why not post Kanjorski's? Afraid the corrupt PAC money will show up...The story is how Paul took all the money from the realtors and banks that caused our economic crisis and loss of jobs. Kanjo stated on Jim Lehrer that he saw this coming two years ago...What did he do about it?

A Preview...Barletta ended up with a little over $200,000 after expenses for the quarter....nothing more on the debt.

Corbett gets Lou on the phone and talks to him like a long lost brother. I've never heard Corbett speak tough to any candidate, he just has no balls.

Why should Kanjorski have to act like he did something wrong by ging millions of people health, by giving people with pre existing health issues insurance without being excluded, by giving college students health insurance after graduation and for a few additional years till they get their lives on tract. Kanjorski did the right thing and Lou would have voted no on anything that would help the working man. The thing I will never forget is that Lour Barletta put Hazleton into bankruptcy.

McGruffRight now the story is about the raid on the landfill developers that Barletta is in bed with. for as much as you dont want to admit it, Barletta took money from them, it is factual. it has been well documented about the money Kanjorski took, but what we are focusing on NOW is the money Barletta took.

You can argue (and admittedly the O'Brien camp argues well on this point) that Kanjo's Wall Street PAC contributions might be a source of potential conflict of interest but at least they are LEGAL and with no SHADY, possibly CRIMINAL connections like the coke dealers and Sopranos-style "construction firms" from NJ and NYC that Barletta sells the city he is supposed to serve to--bonus evil is that these crooks Barletta was dealing with get to poison the citizens of Southern Luzerne County with toxic sludge. I love how the supporters of this River Dredge travesty shouted down concerned Hazletonians at meetings telling them they were standing in the way of "progress" by trying to protest being poisoned by Barletta's paisanos burying toxic river sludge in the water table. People of NEPA, EITHER Democrat is better and cleaner than Barletta's slime!

"Kevin Lynn was fired because he was the lowest rated one there. He has been low rated everywhere he had been. Get over the liberal thing. Corbett is left of fucking Stalin."

What's your proof that Corbett is left of fucking Stalin? Here's proof he isn't: he has on all Republican guests and yucks it up with them against Democrats, devotes ALL his time attacking Democrats and ignoring liberals, voted for McCain/Palin, calls Rush Limbaugh his "brother" and "cousin", need anymore PROOF?

What is YOUR proof? Please state it, besides saying he's left of Stalin. Saying something is not PROOF.

And here's an update: instead of talking about Barletta's folly, Corbett spent the day talking about Haggerty's political signs. MORE proof. It's called "PROOF".

Again, please state your proof that Corbett is NOT a conservative.

He says he voted for Kanjorski but devotes entire shows and weeks attacking Kanjorski. And doesn't challenge Barletta when he has him on his show. He's a stenographer, not a challenging interviewer.

How about this deal: Corbett votes for Bartletta and devotes his shows attacking Barletta. That's a better deal for Kanjorski.

Steve Corbett if a FAKE liberal. There is tons of evidence stating so.

Just rationalize this ONE point: why did "liberal" Steve Corbett vote for McCain/Palin?

Corbett either FAKES being a liberal for radio schtick OR he needs an intervention for people to tell him: "Steve, you're NOT a liberal, please stop calling yourself a liberal".

He cites that he voted for Jesse Jackson decades ago as proof he's a liberal. What's he doing NOW??? Who cares about the 1970's? He says he wrote a column on racism as a response to people calling him a racist. But does he devote HOURS on his show to racism? No.

He says he voted for Kanjorski but LOGS HOURS on his show attacking Kanjorski.

HOURS devoted to attacking Kanjorski isn't equal to saying you voted for Kanjorski.

You're a FOOL if you think Corbett is a liberal. What he talks about for hours and who he attacks for hours on his show is what he is...not saying he voted for Jesse Jackson several decades ago. Don't let the gray ponytail fool you. He should have a short haircut and a suit, because that's what he is.

Say you voted for Kanjorski (5 seconds air time), and then log hundreds of hours attacking Kanjorski and NOT attacking Barletta and having Barletta on his show all the time and never challenging him.

Say you voted for Jesse Jackson decades ago (5 seconds air time), and then log hundreds of hours attacking Obama.

Say you wrote a column on racism (5 seconds air time...and where IS that article btw?), and ignore talking about racism.

Say you're a liberal (5 seconds air time), and spend all your thousands of show hours with Republican guests, conservative tea party callers, push the tea party, and ONLY spend time attacking Democrats and ignoring liberals.

See a pattern here?

Then he can DUPE you and say: "I voted for Jesse Jackson", "I voted for Kanjorski", "I wrote a column on racism".....a long LONG time ago in a far away land and can't find the article.

Dan don't you have your own Fucking Blog? What an asshole. To die up Gort's blog with your rantings.....

Corbett didn't vote for Obama because Obama is a phoney. Watch front line show on Obama care. Barack gave it all away to Big Pharma and the Insurance Companies. Steve was able to see through Obama. Obviously you don't.

Big Dan are you really Kevin? You seem to have a lot of free time and so does Kevin. Kevin has lost 3 jobs in the last 2 years. It is him not his opinions.

Corbett, but he is being paid for doing what you do for free. Maybe he isn't as liberal as you, but at least he gets paid to opine, not some guy who sits home all day listening to the radio and bloggin in his pjs. You on welfare?

Big Dan, I will pay you. You can come to my pizza shop anytime and I will pay you in pizza! Corbett is a cross dresser, he said on the air that he wears dresses around the house but he calls them some kind of Japanese thing. Corbet needs more pizza in his diet. WILK is a total right wing non pizza eating station. They start out by getting rid of Kevin, they keep the non pizza eating Sue Henry, go straight to Rush, then the cross dresser and they follow that with the Pizza doctor Savage.

As for Lou, he is the only non pizza eating Italian in Luzerne County. If he ate more Pizza he would have had a clear head and not bankrupted Hazleton. Lou is knee deep in tocos.